Lap Band Surgery Risks

Having lap band surgery involves the same risks that come with all major surgeries. There are also added risks in any operation for patients who are seriously overweight.

Important
You should know that death is one of the risks. It can occur any time during the lap band operation. It can also occur as a result of the lap band operation. Death can occur despite all the precautions that are taken. There is a risk of gastric perforation (a tear in the stomach wall) during or after the procedure that might lead to the need for another surgery.
In the U.S. clinical study this happened in 1% of the patients. There were no deaths during or immediately after lap band surgery in the U.S. study.

Your age can increase your risk from lap band surgery. So can excess weight. Certain diseases, whether they were caused by obesity or not, can increase your risk from lap band surgery. There are also risks that come with the medications and the methods used in the lap band surgical procedure. You also have risks that come from how your body responds to any foreign object implanted in it.

Published results from past lap band surgeries, however, do show that lap band surgery may have fewer risks than other surgical treatments for obesity.

Patients can experience complications after lap band surgery. Most complications are not serious but some may require hospitalization and/or re-operation. In the United States clinical study, with 3-year follow-up reported, 88% of the 299 patients had one or more adverse events, ranging from mild, moderate to severe. Nausea and vomiting (51%), gastroesophageal reflux (regurgitation) (34%), band slippage/pouch dilatation (24%) and stomach obstruction (stomach-band outlet blockage) (14%) were the most common post-operative complications. In the study, 25% of the patients had their lap band systems removed, two-thirds of which were following adverse events.

Esophageal dilatation or dysmotility (poor esophageal function) occured in 11% of patients, the long-term effects of which are currently unknown. Constipation, diarrhea and dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) occurred in 9% of the patients. In 9% of the patients, a second surgery was needed to fix a problem with the lap band or initial lap band surgery. In 9% of the patients, there was an additional procedure to fix a leaking or twisted access port. The access port design has been improved. Four out of 299 patients (1.3%) had their lap bands erode into their stomachs. These bands needed to be removed in a second operation. Surgical techniques have evolved to reduce slippage. Lap band surgeons with more laparoscopic experience and more experience with these procedures report fewer complications.